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Ranking pretty high in our overall testing, the RTIC 65 brings a lot to the table. Though it's only about average in our insulation tests, its rugged and robust design and ease of use help even the scale. Like so many coolers, the RTIC touts a familiar design with impressive functionality that makes it both durable and incredibly useful. With two drains, comfortable handles, a large capacity, an easy to use design, the RTIC might be the cooler you've been looking for.
REASONS TO BUY
Very durable
Good insulation
Comfortable handle grips
REASONS TO AVOID
A bit large for one person
No leash for plug
Latches are too stretchy
It Costs How Much??
RTIC's tagline of "overbuilt, not overpriced" is more variable than we expected. While it's commonly sold at online retailers for a significant discount below its list price, it also frequently spikes higher than the competition, making the timing of your purchase more important than usual. If you find a great deal, we think this cooler is worth the money, but the price hasn't been consistent here.
Great, long-lasting performance in a premium and functional cooler
Top-notch insulation in a long-lasting, compact design that will last for years to come
With reliable performance, this cooler is a great shape, easy to use, and a good value
A budget-friendly rotomolded option that includes great features and is available in many colors
A decent budget-friendly option for quick trips, but its insulation performance doesn’t hold up after a few days
Rating Categories
RTIC 65
ORCA 58 Quart
Xspec 60qt
RTIC Ultralight 52
Coleman 316 Series 52
Insulation(50%)
6.5
8.0
7.5
7.3
4.0
Durability(20%)
7.1
8.0
7.6
5.6
3.1
Ease of Use(15%)
8.2
7.8
7.4
7.4
4.0
Portability(10%)
7.0
5.0
7.0
8.0
7.0
Additional Features(5%)
5.9
7.9
7.2
5.9
3.1
Specs
RTIC 65
ORCA 58 Quart
Xspec 60qt
RTIC Ultralight 52
Coleman 316 Series 52
Shelf Life of Food (Measured Days Below 40ºF)
5.5
6.7
6.1
5.8
4
Days of Cold Beverages (Measured Days Below 50º F)
6.1
7.3
6.7
6.3
4.4
Measured Weight
35.4 Ibs
30.5 Ibs
30.3 Ibs
21.6 Ibs
9.4 Ibs
Measured Capacity in Cans
96
82
90
61
74
Measured Capacity
64 qt
56 qt
57 qt
49 qt
44 qt
Advertised Capacity
65 qt
58 qt
60 qt
52 qt
52 qt
Internal Maximum Body Height
12.0"
13.0"
13.0"
12.0"
13.0"
Does it Fit a Wine or 2L Bottle Standing Upright?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Measured Exterior Dimensions
(L x W x H)
32.1" x 18.5" x 17.0"
26.6" x 20.0" x 19.4"
29.5" x 17.0" x 18.0"
27.3" x 18.5" x 17.5"
26.0" x 14.5" x 17.7"
Construction
Rotomolded
Rotomolded
Rotomolded
Rotomolded
Blow-molded Plastic (non-rotomolded)
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Our Analysis and Test Results
Performance Comparison
The RTIC 65 is fairly easy to get in and out of thanks to its hassle-free lid and t-shaped latches.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Insulation
As a beefy rotomolded cooler with a freezer-style gasket, it's no surprise that the RTIC performed well during our intensive insulation testing. In our temperature-controlled room, it maintained FDA-approved safe food temperatures of less than 40º F for five and a half days. The RTIC also kept its contents at a refreshing 50º F or less for about 146 hours or roughly six days.
However impressive these numbers are, the RTIC lost to just a few extremely impressive coolers. It also didn't live up to its claim of 10 days at ice-cold temperatures, though that claim is under far less harsh conditions than the way we torture-tested these coolers. Still, this will get you through a long weekend and any day trip outing.
The RTIC 65 is large enough to hold lots of refreshments, snacks, and even upright wine bottles.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Durability
Despite having a visually similar appearance to many products certified by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee, the RTIC is not. However, it still stacks up to be a pretty tough cooler. We had a 225-lb tester jump on all the coolers we reviewed, and the RTIC had no problem clearing this hurdle. Though its lid has a rubber gasket, it's not completely sealed off. When transporting, we had some minor leakage and splashes. The integrated hinges are strong and withstood all our pushing and yanking.
RTIC 65 lid makes a nice cutting board, table top, and chair.
Credit: Gena Bradshaw
The sheer stretchiness of the rubber latches on the RTIC gives us concern for their durability and longevity. Though we yanked on everything, including the flexible rubber latches, we couldn't get them to break. We do worry that they may stretch a bit during regular use, becoming looser over time. We're not sure if this would become an issue after years of love and abuse. Additionally, when we left all the coolers for hours in the hot sun to see how they reacted, the RTIC's lid bowed the most of any model. As with all the coolers, though, some time spent back inside a cool garage put it back to normal, so we didn't count this against it too much.
Like many of the other t-shaped latches, these are easy to grasp but are more flexible than the rest.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Ease of Use
The RTIC earned one of the highest scores in this metric, as we find it exceptionally easy to use. It has two drain plugs to quickly empty liquid contents. Its flexible rubber latches also set it apart, as they are easier to maneuver than the similar rubber latches of several other models. We asked a four-year-old to open and close every cooler we tested, and the RTIC was one of the few deemed "easy." The lid easily stays open for quick loading and unloading, and we measured the capacity of this icebox as a bit larger than advertised — 67 quarts, rather than 65. This extra volume translates into fitting more delicious things inside your cooler, and the simple interior shape facilitates fitting all kinds of different-shaped food items.
While we appreciate the efficiency of having two drains, only one of them has a channel to help get every last drop out of the RTIC. Additionally, there's no included dry bin with this cooler, like there is with numerous other models we tested. Overall though, we think the RTIC is a very user-friendly cooler for people of many ages and with a wide variety of stuff in their hands.
The RTIC includes an easy-to-use drain plug. However, it doesn't have a leash so you'll want to keep an eye on it.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Portability
Just like the other coolers of its size and lacking wheels, the RTIC will never be your favorite piece of gear to cart around. Empty, it weighs nearly 35 pounds. Though the indented side handles make it doable for a single person to move an empty RTIC from shelf to shelf in the garage, two people best handle the weight and width of this cooler.
Fortunately, the RTIC double-carry handles are fitted with squishy foam grips to make carrying this fully-loaded beast a bit more doable. These handles were favorites among our testers as being useful and comfortable, easily used with one hand or two, and sweat-wicking for those hot days. Despite its overall size and bulk, the RTIC isn't too bad to carry — as long as you don't have to go too far.
The RTIC has thick grippy foam handles that make transporting it slightly easier.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Additional Features
A simple design, the RTIC has several features that we find helpful, including non-skid feet and tie-down slots that still allow you to open the cooler while it's secured. It's also dry ice compatible and has a slightly textured lid, adding a small amount of traction to items placed on top.
Importantly, the RTIC, along with many other high-end coolers we tested, does not come with a leash for either of the two drain plugs. At the time of writing, RTIC offers a simple 1-year warranty against manufacturer defects, compared to three and five year warranties offered by other manufacturers.
The RTIC is large enough that you might need to grab a friend to help you transport it.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Should you buy the RTIC 65?
Though the RTIC is still a few hundred dollars, it's significantly less than other similar models while performing better. Despite its fluctuating list price, it's often sold for much less at other retailers. However, its price seems to change just about every week, ranging from a really good value to a price higher than some better-performing models we tested. But if you can time your RTIC purchase just right, you're in for a high return on investment and a cooler that's built to work well and for a long time.
Digging around for goodies in the RTIC 65.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
What other coolers should you consider?
The Rovr RollR 60 is one of the more unique options in our lineup. It has hefty back wheels that can easily roll over sand, gravel, and asphalt. Additionally, it has some of the best features we've seen, including pop-up lid storage. For a budget-friendly option, the RTIC Ultralight 52 is a decent weekend companion. The money saved can be put towards filling it up with all sorts of goodies, and you'll still get excellent insulation performance.
The RTIC 65 is durable and high-performing, yet it doesn't cost nearly as much as some of its competitors.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
—
Genaveve Bradshaw, Maggie Nichols, and Rebecca Glades
